All Bets Off

by David Schwarz

When he was eight years old, David Schwarz saw his father killed in front of him in a domestic dispute gone wrong. Despite going on to become a star football player, playing 11 seasons with the Melbourne Football Club, the effect of this early shocking experience would shadow him throughout his successful sporting career. This is David Schwarz’s honest and courageous story, told in full for the first time. Starting with the trauma of losing his father and riding the highs and lows of his football career, David tells the tale of his eventual undoing—a gambling addiction that saw him lose every dollar he’d ever earned and took him to the brink of personal and professional destruction. But it is also a tale of redemption as David recounts the moment he turned his life around, and the path of recovery since.

Genres: Biography

254 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful biography of a good footballer who evidently dealt with trauma in his life in a variety of ways, especially gambling. An incredible openness and vulnerability by The Ox. I’ve always appreciated listening to him on the radio, and this biography of his life and our new with the punt is a sobering tale. Worth the read. And then inspiring to help those with gambling issues to deal with them.

[James Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story. Holds nothing back.